Trapped Within The Night
by BreeHime
Summary: Keiko is attacked on her way home and the detectives are on the case. A new opponent or a new friend? There's a new girl in Kurama's class and she is..different. Kuronue has been 'dead' for centuries, but why is a young woman disagreeing? -KuronuexOC-
1. The Beginning

---Chapter 1 – The Beginning---

Night swept all throughout the city. The only lights keeping it bright were the signs and the late night businesses. In the darkness of the shadows moved a fierce and dangerous creature. Finally the creature stopped and waited in the shadows of an alleyway.

A young girl passed by the alley; unconscious of the danger she was about to face. This girl had a happy smile on her face as she walked home. It was only around 10:30 p.m. and it was her curfew. Suddenly a sharp nailed hand shot out and grabbed her by the forearm, pulling her into the darkness. A quiet and muffled yelp was heard until there was a soft groan. The creature that had been in the shadows used its telepathy to calm it's victim, giving her soothing and pleasurable images that would keep her silenced.

Long fangs extended, glinting in the bare light given off by a near-by source. The mouth that housed these deadly fangs descended on the girl's neck, biting into her throat. Soon enough her life source gushed out, sucked up by the vampiric creature with a delighted sound. The vampire soothed the bite marks with its tongue, healing the wounds so she wouldn't die. With a swoosh the creature stepped out into the partial light to reveal a girl who appeared not much older then the fainted one in her arms. She made her way down the opposite direction that the girl was going, making her way to an out-of-the-way temple.

She had sniffed out the girl's scent, back-tracking her steps. She was encountered a problem along the way, there was a barrier that repelled evil beings and though she wasn't all evil she still couldn't pass. The vampire hissed and pushed her way to the top of the stairs where she was forced to stop and place the girl down. Quickly she left the place, leaving her trademark sign behind for the people living there before returning home.

----------

Yusuke bolted up from his futon, shaking with sweat on his being. In another room the red haired kitsune known as Kurama did so as well. Up in a tree outside of the temple and into the forest a small demon, Hiei, had his eyes flash open. Beside Yusuke's room an orange haired human woke up and was out of his room in a moment. Even the old pink haired woman who went by the name of Genkai was awake and going throughout the temple to find the disturbance.

The two humans, the half-yokai and kitsune met up with a tired looking Yukina and then they moved their search outside. Hiei then came up to them and motioned for them to follow him. Then they saw what had caused them all to wake up sweating, some more then others.

There lied Keiko at the edge of the steps. She held a white rose that had black veins and red tips. Inside the rose were droplets of blood, most likely hers. It looked as if she was dead and someone arranged her body so she was holding the flower against her chest though they could all see she was breathing, it was slow but it was there.

Yusuke bolted forward to pick her up carefully until her hair moved away from the side of her neck and they all saw half healed puncture marks. Something had bitten her.

---------

Kurama sat straight in his desk chair unlike the rest of the High School students who leaned into their chairs or were laid out over their desktops. He read his novel with a relaxed expression even though his mind was racing from the night's incident. Yusuke had decided to stay at the temple with Keiko along with everyone else but the fox decided to attend school since he had missed so much already.

The door to the classroom opened and closed softly with only a click for people to know it had even done so. Nobody looked up from what they were doing as they were used to people coming in and out all the time. There were a few soft murmurs and the teacher motioned to the empty desk beside Kurama, a window seat. The desk behind the girl was empty and a random bookworm of a girl sat in front of the new person.

The green-eyed, red-haired perfect student looked up from his thrilling novel to meet with a pair of cold guarded amber eyes. A chill ran down his spine and a bead of sweat trickled down his temple as they locked gazes. _Do I fear her? How can this be, she is a ningen like the rest of them…_ He thought quietly before she continued her way to her seat beside him. It had seemed hours while their eyes were locked, and now he wished it wasn't even that second. He could feel her gaze upon him as if she was standing before him and not beside him while he looked down at his book, reading but not seeing the words. After a few minutes Kurama realized he was reading the same word over and over, trying to keep his focus on the girl beside him. A sigh came forth and he shook his head mentally, turning his focus to the book.

Nariko was her name as he learned later. Nodako Nariko. Calm child of thunder. What an odd name to have. She hadn't done anything more to bother him; it was just something uncanny about her mere presence. It was one he had felt not so long ago, but he couldn't place where it was.

And then he smelled it.

The wind blew from the window, carrying the female's scent on the breeze with other various outside smells. It was the scent of death. The smell of death never bothered him before; maybe the person had recently had someone close to them die or had walked by someone murdered? No it was nothing like that. The death smell wasn't on her...it _was_ her.

He froze. He couldn't breathe. What was a creature like her doing in the Ningenkai? She was supposed to remain in the Makai due to laws put down by the vampire leader, not wanting to have Koenma wipe them out. The last ones to freely roam were in Yoko Kurama and Kuronue's thieving time. Vampires in the Ningenkai. He glanced up at the clock and stood from his desk to make his way to his teacher. With a quiet murmur and a bow he was excused ten minutes early from class.

Nariko's sudden blue colored eyes flashed and she allowed a slight smirk to creep across her lips. She waited two minutes before standing up and approaching her Ningen sensei. "Sensei, may I leave class? I wish to...find my locker before the rush, I fear I might be utterly lost if I do not." She carefully noted her teacher's surprised look at the manner she spoke, it was better than how she spoke when she was in the Makai that was for sure. Nariko had old manners still within her from the last time she was in the Ningenkai.

"Of course you may." She only remained for the first response then left the room softly. She trailed after the boy with red hair, he smelt familiar and also very delicious. He was practically screaming and begging to be taken from just as she would have him yelling in a matter of minutes. Suddenly his form disappeared upon exiting to the outside. Her body froze and she fought with herself. Looking down she saw a plant that had grown swiftly up to hold her in place.

"Let me go." Her deft fingers stroked the leaves of the vines, a cooing and seductive voice replacing any monotone that might have come out. "You don't want to hold me. Good baby, just pull back enough so I may escape. He doesn't have to know...Don't worry, you can stay as large as you are..." Pale slender fingers continued petting the invisible vines, feeling the hum of the living Makai plant. Finally she felt a hole widen enough for her body to slip out. The plant itself and the hole were hardly noticeable unless you trained your eyes to look for them. Blue eyes peered with an enhanced gaze for her new prey. "Come on...I just wanted to..._talk_ with you."

Stepping away from the spinning vines, Nariko purred out her words softly as if a Siren bringing the daily catches of men to her net. That was, until her body was frozen again. A feral hiss escaped her mouth and vampiric teeth elongated. She was mad. Her body began to tremble as heat from another body behind her soaked through her chilled flesh. The barrage on her mental barriers was painful, as if a stake being driven through her heart. It wasn't him doing the attacking but it was someone close by, a psychic person.

"You are a vampire. You attacked a young Ningen female last night." His voice was as she pictured it. Cool and still seductive even though he tried to push it away. A gentleman as the Makai knew gentlemen. "You will stand before Koenma and be tried for attacking the Ningen population." Red locks of hair brushed her small shoulders. She giggled at first before laughing out right at him.

"I am Adena Tussand, the Egyptians know me as Kimi of the Nile. I am Kallie, the Greeks pray to me as one of the black goddesses. I am Nariko, hunter and assassin of Japan. What could you, my little demon do to me?" Kurama shifted behind the woman, he knew those names from his past but it was still foreign to his current memory. His counterpart, Yoko, came to life and brought forth the flood of memories. Because of this, the vampire was able to free her from his slack grip. She turned to him and admired the distant look he had the handsome fox-like features. He was familiar to her as well but it slipped after a couple thousand years. Rising from the ground, tendrils of dark shadow pulled at her form. Nariko pressed her body to his sensually and the shadows circled the two of them pulling them into a vortex of black.

When the kitsune had awoken from his miniature black out, he was laid upon a comfortable bed and his lips were swollen. Nariko was not above taking from a helpless victim, and she found she regained memories of years gone past from a simple (bruising) kiss. He tasted flecks of something on his lips and licked at them. It was tangy like fruit, but bitter like salt. "Where am I?"

"Haha. You're in my den young kitsune. Don't worry, we're still in the Ningenkai. This is just where I have been living for the past few years." Nariko materialized in a few wisps of shadow on the fluffy bed with her legs crossed. She was out of her school uniform and now in what was seen as comfortable. A black corset with red laces and a mid-thigh length skirt. Black spandex shorts peeked out from under her red and black plaid skirt, but they were unnoticeable if she was to stand up. Black fishnet gloves with the fingers gone decorated her pale hands. "I remember you now. You are almost as famous as myself, Yoko Kurama."

"I'm sorry to say I don't remember you." He sat up and she flashed a grin to show off her fangs. A warning look of gold shot through his emerald eyes until she pressed one hand to his leg and the other to his chest.

"You're lucky than. I would only bring you hurtful memories. But I have a need for you, Reikai Tantei...One I'm very sure you will help me with." Nariko removed her hands from his form to lace them on her lap as she watched his reactions. He looked moderately curious as to what she could want from him besides blood or something of the sort.

"Why?" The girl had to hold in a snort at his stupidity, why indeed. Why would she ask help from a Spirit Detective when she could just twist her vampire lord around her finger? With a roll of her eyes she looked to her window covered with a black sheet.

"Because...I intend to bring someone back from his imprisonment. He should never have to live, or rather non-live, a horrible fate like that."

Kurama sighed at the vampire girl; he was starting to get annoyed with the way she worded things. He gave her a blank look and deadpanned his thoughts, "No more riddles Nariko. Just what do you want me to do?"

"Oh so you trust me now?" She rolled her eyes again before becoming serious once more, "I want to bring Kuronue back from where he is imprisoned."


	2. To Remember

---Chapter 2 – To Remember---

"Kuronue? How do you know of Kuronue? And what do you mean he is imprisoned? He is dead! I saw him die with my own eyes. How dare you-"

"How dare I _what_, Spirit Detective Kurama? How dare I want to bring my mate back to my side? How dare I come to this pathetic ningen world in search of help to reunite my mate and myself together? YOU have no right questioning me weak kitsune." Nariko spat with anger and frustration radiating off of her like waves of power.

"I am centuries older. When you first met me I was more than a fumbling kit, as you believed. I have been subject to experiments and protocols of my kind. I will stop at nothing to have Kuronue by my side. Especially when I rule the vampire race. My lord Tristan has named me heiress as a reward for my service. And as such, I can have your will shackled and bring you as my slave. But I remember, even though you do not, the kindness you showed me when I arrived bloodied and beaten at your castle, Sir Yoko."

Kurama sat back on his pillows with his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. There was so much from his past that he could not recall. It was like a barrier prevented him. "I...I am sorry Nariko. There is a recoil of sorts with putting my soul in another body, I cannot remember things at times. You...you are one of those things."

Nariko slowly relaxed as she realized he was being defensive because of his own ignorance. "I am not surprised. I was not with you as long as Kuronue was. I was only with the two of you for half a century, when I first crossed the barrier of the vampire world and the Makai." She moved closer to Kurama, going as far as to straddling him on top of the blankets. It was devoid of intimacy; it was for other purposes. "I can help you remember. Relax."

Without anymore warning or hesitation, the vampire heiress pressed her fingers to his temples and rested her forehead on his. Kurama winced slightly as her nails made him bleed slightly but soon could no longer feel it as together they dove into each other's memories.

_"Lord Yoko!" _The master of the castle and very famous thief looked up from checking over the treasury room. His golden gaze settled on one of the maids that kept his castle clean and in working order. Those same eyes narrowed at the frantic tone that she called his name with.

"What is it? You know better than to interrupt me." Yoko Kurama crossed his arms over his chest, wondering why the servant girl couldn't have bothered Kuronue or someone with more patience.

"Um...well, sir...There is someone at the door and-"

"Spit it out girl!" Yoko growled out just as Kuronue popped into existence behind the girl.

"Be nice Kurama. You know most of our servants are young and nervous with you." His smooth voice slid around the area, making the maid even shakier with having both the masters in one place. "Now sweet one, what is the problem?" Kuronue gently flirted with the maid while finding out the problem.

"Oh. There is a woman at the entrance...and she is very badly injured. She asked to be let in before she went unconscious." The young woman blushed under Kuronue's gaze and fiddled with her apron before glancing up at Kurama who had calmed down considerably.

"A woman? Demoness? Or some sort of sprite?" Kurama questioned somewhat gentler.

"I'm sorry my lord, I have no idea. She appears almost like a ningen, but her scent is too odd." The cat demon stared at her feet and studied the boards on which she was standing.

Kurama looked at his partner; "I suppose we should see who is brave enough to show up on our doorstep and request assistance from us." He smirked as Kuronue shrugged and grinned at the same time.

With the maid in tow, the thieving duo approached the entrance to find out who it was. What they saw was not expected.

A very pretty woman was laid on the floor with a blanket folded as a pillow under her head. She breathed unevenly and many wounds covered her body. Deep cuts located in various spots bled heavily and a multitude of scratches covered her arms and stomach. Her clothes were once probably very styled but were now torn and ripped. Some of her covering was even in pieces holding on by the threads that they were made from.

Kuronue blinked once before moving forward to move her long black tresses from her face. When he pulled his hand away he realized it was drenched in blood. Whether it was hers or not, he had no idea but he was leaning towards the fact it was her own. The two demons looked upon her flawless face and studied her features.

The bat youki started from her forehead down. She had a heart-shaped face with soft cheekbones and smooth cheeks. Her eyes were almond shaped and her nose was a perfect match to her face. Full deep blood red lips were followed by a very stubborn chin. All in all, beyond the cuts and scratches on her face, she was perfect.

As he crouched by her body she gave out a painful moan and writhed as if she was in a lot of pain. The woman sat up with a gasp, her eyes opening wide before collapsing on the ground once more. She turned her head with her eyes half open, showing a florescent blue color that glowed. Her hand closest to Kuronue reached out to grab the cloth of his black shirt tightly. "Help...please." Her voice faded as she fell unconscious once more and her hand slowly released his shirt.

Kuronue scratched the back of his head and turned to look at Kurama. "Well...I'm voting to have her stay. At least until she's able to move on her own." He adjusted his hat on top of his black hair as he stood up.

"Of course you would Kuronue." Yoko chuckled as he uncrossed his arms. He beckoned a small group of five servants to stand before him. "I want one of the rooms here with a large bath prepared for our newest guest. Have someone find her a white yukita and then a selection of women's clothing to be put in her room. I also want a warm, not hot, bath ready for her within the next half-hour. Now!"

The servants scattered around the castle at his command. The maid who had brought her to their attention shuffled forward without hesitation with a bowl of steaming water and another followed her with cool water. She kneeled beside the woman and laid the warm cloth on her forehead as they waited.

"What is your name?" Kurama questioned pleasantly as if he had never had a temper ever.

The cat yokai looked up with flickering ears. "It's Arianna my lord." She murmured as she dabbed at the woman's face with another cloth.

"Alright. Arianna, you are to look after all of this woman's needs when she awakens. That includes dressing her and helping her with her bathing if she wishes it. It's a promotion from dusting at least. Do you know how to tend to a woman if she turns out to be a high class?"

"Yes sir." Arianna answered, washing most of the woman's cuts on her face.

"Lord Yoko. Her room is ready with the bath. Lord Kuronue knows where it is and wishes to take her there himself." A serpent demon bowed and moved out of the way for Kuronue to pick up the woman.

"Taking an interest in her already Kuronue? I didn't know you liked the helpless ones." Kurama teased in a brotherly way.

Kuronue shrugged, "What can I say? I like variety." He gently picked up the girl bridle-style and began carrying her to the room prepared.

_Nariko chuckled as she viewed this memory from Kurama's point of view. "So that's what happened." _

_Kurama could do nothing but smile in return before she dove into her memory to fill in the gaps._

Kaille, or Nariko as she was more often called, awoke in a very comfortable bed. Her head was propped up on a fluffy white pillow and when she checked under the blankets, she was clad in a soft white yukita. Her hair had been recently washed and there were many bandages on her body.

She leaned back into her pillows and breathed deeply. Her hair that they had thought was dark black was actually a black with purple highlights and her eyes were now a honeyed amber color that were warm with life. Nariko sighed and turned her head to look at her surroundings. The last thing she remembered was a castle and a deep seductive voice that surpassed any of those in her clan. That memory went together with a pair of indigo blue eyes and gentle hand on her face.

Suddenly the door to her room opened and someone of small stature entered. Her eyes snapped shut and she breathed evenly as if asleep. The person got closer and closer until finally she found where her power was to vanish and appear behind the girl in her room. She locked her arms around the yôkai from behind and lowered her mouth to her neck where her jugular pulsed rapidly.

"Stop." The girl cried out. "Stop!"

Nariko paid no head to her pleas and pierced the skin of her fragile neck to drink greedily from her life source. The blood of such a young and strong cat yokai rejuvenated her quickly.

"Stop." She murmured in a choking voice, her consciousness fading quickly as Nariko soothed her mind with her own.

The vampiress' eyes glowed blue under her eyelids as she drank deeply. It had been so long since fresh blood. Just as sudden as the cat's entering, the door slammed open to reveal the two masters of the castle.

"Release her!" A voice commanded from the doorway before getting closer. The kitsune in white grabbed at the servant girl and the bat in black gripped Nariko from behind. Together they pulled the vampiress off of the girl and to safety. Yoko pressed a cloth to her neck and made sure she stayed alive.

"Kuronue, you wanted her here, you take care of her!" Yoko growled out, angry that one of the members in his castle was harmed under his nose.

Kuronue held onto Nariko as she clawed at his arms, attempting to get him to release her. Her nails were lengthened and were just as sharp as her fangs. Finally she went limp and chuckled softly before vanishing from his arms in tendrils of shadow to appear on the bed with her legs crossed.

"Forgive me. That was terrible manners." She wiped her mouth clean with her tongue, but the blood red stayed as if stained onto her lips. "She'll be fine. I only took what I needed and left her with enough to survive and be on her feet after a rest."

"Ah I see. You're a vampiress." Kuronue announced with a smirk. "It must have been some time since you've had blood from the way you showed up on our doorstep."

Nariko looked away from him and down to her lap. He brought up things that shouldn't have been spoken of so soon. "Yes it's been a while. I'm sorry about suddenly showing up. I couldn't find anywhere else before I passed out."

Yoko rolled his eyes, he knew where this was headed and so he took his leave with Arianna in his arms. She needed a healer and/or sleep.

Kuronue gently placed two clawed fingers under Nariko's chin, "Don't worry about it. If you hadn't attacked your caretaker, I'm positive things would be less hectic. Please try and refrain from taking without asking. If your thirst gets bad enough, take from me, I've got plenty to give." He smirked and winked at her.

"Oops. I didn't realize that she was the one who was taking care of me. At least she'll be fine. I'm old enough to know how much to take. So...who are you two anyway? I'm still new to the Makai. I'm usually stuck to the vampire borders." Nariko explained softly as he pulled his hand away. He sat on the bed next to her and nodded as she continued on. "When I crossed, I got into a couple of fights with stronger vampires and demons."

"I'm Kuronue and my partner is Yoko Kurama. We're thieves and pretty famous in the Makai."

"Kuronue." Nariko tested his name on her tongue and felt a smile coming on. She liked the way it sounded and judging from the look on his face, he liked the sound of it coming from her lips.

"That's my name babe. Now that you know mine, what's your own?" Kuronue trailed a clawed finger down her neck giving her the delightful chills.

"I have many names. I frequent the Ningenkai and the many places within it as well as my own world and lands. Adena is one of my older names as well as Kimi and Kallie. You may call me Nariko, lord Kuronue."

"Such a pretty name for such a beautiful woman." Kuronue murmured, very openly flirting. He leaned over to pull her face to him and even got as far as holding her jaw with one clawed hand. She fluttered her eyelashes playfully before chuckling and vanishing in threads of the shadow to appear near her door.

"Come on sir Kuronue. I will not let you play with me like some of your yokai women would allow you." Nariko opened her door with a smile; still being very friendly as she politely kicked him out of her room. She peeked her head outside, hearing footsteps approaching. "Hey, you. Yes you. Can you make a trip to the kitchen and get me the most basic food you have? Like...fruit?"

The servant blushed and nodded, turning around and heading to the kitchen at the request of the woman. Apparently no one else heard about her mistake of taking from her caretaker.

"You're kicking me out of your room?" Kuronue stared in disbelief. No woman had ever done that to him. It was always Kurama getting kicked out after a night.

Nariko winked at the bat yokai and blew a kiss after pushing him out of her room. "See you later sexy." She closed the door in his face, loving the look on his face before she did.

With a yawn she stretched and went in search of clothes in her closet.


	3. Dearest Love

So VERY VERY VERY sorry for the slow update. Don't kill me! Thank you for the favorites! Please please review. It'll speed up the process of updating, I promise!

**I own nothing. But my OCs. And ideas.**

---Chapter 3 – Dearest love---

"-and then she kicked me out of her room!" Kuronue ranted, obviously bummed out and confused as to why she didn't just welcome him like other women did.

Kurama began laughing at his friend's dismay. "She's probably not like the other girls you've conquested my friend." Together they were sitting in Kurama's study, Kuronue across from Kurama.

"I know _that_ Kurama. She's like nothing I've ever seen."

"So in other words you're infatuated with her?" Kurama teased lightly, chuckling right after.

"That's not what I meant and you know it!" Kuronue protested, almost knocking over their drinks with his moving hands. He grumbled under his breath as if trying to convince himself that he was not infatuated with her.

_Nariko giggled breathlessly, it was not hard to go through memories when they were of loved ones and people you spent lots of time with, but she had been doing this for a long time now._

"Please. Don't stop. I want to remember this. I know you want to relive it." Kurama pleaded with her. He kept his eyes closed, wanting to see the image of Kuronue once more.

"I need energy or blood." She murmured before she felt a rush of spiritual energy that fueled her gift. It wasn't long after that she entered his and her own memories again.

_It was two days after that incident and Kuronue was more impatient with everyone than Kurama had ever been._ He snapped at servants and fingered his weapons anytime someone made him upset. Soon enough Arianna was back at Nariko's side, pleading her to talk to him.

"Please Lady Nariko. If you want to repay me, you'll talk to him. He's becoming unbearable. He used to be the one we didn't have to be afraid of. Now Lord Yoko is always laughing at him and scaring us because he's so nice. Things were simple!" Arianna begged as she helped Nariko style her hair with curls and hair chopsticks.

Nariko tugged absently at a curl framing her face until Arianna slapped her hand gently away. She stuck her tongue out at the maid before shrugging. "I guess I could. And since when do you slap my hand?"

"Since you are ruining my hard work." Arianna shot back. Nariko had encouraged her to be outspoken and since then she had almost regretted allowing her to. Arianna spoke her mind and dealt with her in a brisk sisterly way.

A knock sounded on her door and she tilted her head slightly. "Who could that be? Arianna, please?"

The girl curtsied and opened the door to reveal Kuronue standing there with a calm look. She curtsied to the lord and shot a grin towards Nariko, knowing they were thinking the same thing. Only Nariko muttered it out loud. Arianna kept her eyes lowered until she was totally out of the room and down the hallway to go tell the rest of the household about his visit.

"Speak of the devil and he shall come." She smiled and she spoke the next sentence louder. "Hello Kuronue, how have you been?" Nariko stood up and walked to her door to invite him in. She caught his looking and smiled a bit wider. Her attire consisted of a pair of dark black pants that flared around her calves and a blood red sleeveless shirt with a low 'V' with gold embroidering.

"You have to be the most confusing woman in the Makai. First you kick me out, now you invite me in with open arms." Kuronue shook his head but smiled anyway. He liked her personality and liked even more her looks.

"You'll get used to it." Nariko chuckled and sat on one of the couches in her room. When she crossed her legs knee over knee, a pair of soft black Chinese slippers with silver embroidering peaked from underneath. "I'm almost recovered if that is what you were going to ask. I'll be out of your hair soon enough lord Kuronue."

Kuronue scowled, "That's not what I was going to ask. I was...I was wondering if you would dine with me tonight." He asked the question in an even voice and Nariko appeared stunned for a moment. She hadn't expected that, even from the men who came to her as possible mates.

"I'd love to." She smiled and stood to place a light kiss on his cheek. "How ever I can't eat anything until next month. I'm on a blood diet." As she was pulling away he grabbed her arm gently. His eyes pleaded with her just as much as Arianna's voice had.

"Don't turn me down. Please Nariko. If you can't eat with me, at least let me take you to the village." He really wanted to spend time with Nariko and to get her out of the castle at least.

"Let go of me Kuronue." Nariko warned, she was very close to him and his blood sung to her. "I'll go with you. Don't worry about it."

_"I'm getting too drained even with your help kitsune. We need to end this." Nariko used the last of her energy to speed through the remaining bits of the love story._

She bought Kuronue his crimson pendent-and-necklace that very night and they spent the night together watching the moonlight_._ The remaining weeks ahead were of her getting to know Kurama and claiming Kuronue as her mate and she as his.

Finally Nariko slid open her eyes and pulled away from Kurama as his eyes opened as well. They were a bright golden color instead of his normal emerald green. She could tell his counterpart was awakened and both their souls and minds working together before the boy underneath her smiled softly.

"I remember everything about you Nariko. I'm sorry for the delay." He apologized as she slipped totally off of him to grab an ointment to close the wounds she created on his head from her nails. She shook her head at his apology and gently applied the thin gel before stretching and yawning.

Nariko was totally drained of any and all energy. As such, she was calm and had almost a different personality. "It's fine Kurama. I needed to mental work-out." She chuckled tiredly before sitting on the bed near his waist. "If you don't mind, can you entertain yourself in my house while I rest? Help yourself to anything you want."

"Sure?" Kurama both answered and questioned as he was pushed out of the large, darkened bedroom. The door closed softly behind him as Nariko glided to the comfortable bed to fall asleep.

When the woman awoke she heard two voices talking quietly just outside her bedroom door. One was Kurama, of that she was sure, and the other she didn't recognize. She kept her eyes closed and tuned her hearing to the doorway to hear better the mumbles from behind it.

"I don't see why we have to wake her up. Leave her sleep Yusuke." Kurama spoke softly, trying his best not to wake up his partner's mate. "She exhausted herself helping me."

"Yeah yeah Kurama. You've said this like ten times already. But Koenma won't stop calling and I really feel like kicking her ass myself for drinking my girlfriend's blood." Yusuke pushed open her door and turned on the light switch that was on the wall next to the door. Unfortunately for him, Nariko faded her body into many little tendrils of smoky shadow that slid across the floor before she reappeared behind both Kurama and the boy named Yusuke.

"Ah. You're the newest Reikai Tantei leader. Kurama...how did he find my house?" Nariko frowned at her old friend. She was trying to keep her location a secret from Koenma for a reason. "Ugh. I'm not going with you Yusuke. Babyface will ruin my plans!" She growled and backed up, away from the two spirit detectives.

"Please Nari. Hear him out." Kurama pleaded softly as if coaxing a deer to come to him. "He might even be able to help you. I know that Kuronue's soul never came to the Reikai, I'm sure he won't force him to go there."

Nariko bared her long vampiric fangs in a low hiss as she found herself sinking into a defensive crouch. "Every deal with sootherboy has turned to be for the benefit of him and I have never gotten what he bargained for me. I refuse. I only wanted your help former lord Kurama. I trusted you because you gave me shelter, and a home and a life in the Makai. And because Kuronue trusted you with his life."

Kurama held out a hand for Yusuke to stay back, shooting him a warning glance to go along with it. He slowly moved forward to her form wary of any attack she might make. Somehow he doubted she would attack him, just for the fact that he knew Kuronue would be a little peeved with her. "You can still trust me Nari. I'm still your friend. I'm still your favorite kitsune and you know it. C'mon, say my nickname." He teased her softly, not caring that Yusuke could tease him about the nickname that she was going to use.

Nariko blushed a faint pink as she pulled back out of her fighting stance and sheathed her fangs and claws. She knew it was going to come out of her anyway once he remembered. The girl muttered the nickname she had created before staring at her new pair of boots as if they were the greatest thing in all of the realms.

"I couldn't hear you Nari. What was that?"

"I said yes Yoyo..." Nariko ducked her head and covered her mouth to hide a giggle that was threatening to escape. She had felt like such a child around Kurama that she couldn't help giving him such a childish nickname.

"...Dude. Yoyo? Seriously?"

Kurama sighed, but smiled nonetheless.


End file.
